CWEM Problems and Solutions

A. What are the problems with the CWEM? 

 In the past 1-2 months, if you experienced 'slow response', 'time-out' and 'unable to connect' problems with the  campus-wide e-mail system (CWEM), you might have asked "What is the problem with the CWEM?".

The answer is the resources including the CPU, memory and input/output of the CWEM were exhausted.

Certainly, adding more resources to the CWEM is one of the solutions to this problem. However, this solution may not be effective for very long without your assistance and cooperation:

i. Keep the Number of E-mails in Your Inbox Small

Statistics show that the "Inbox" for many users has hundreds to thousands of e-mail messages. Getting hundreds to thousands of messages from CWEM to one's desktop uses a lot of resources of CWEM.

We suggest keeping the number of messages in the "Inbox" minimal by constantly deleting and removing out-dated e-mail. CWEM users who are using web-based mail programs such as CU Web Mail should be more cautious about the number of messages in their Inbox if they cannot afford to wait a long time for the index of their Inbox to be displayed.

Information providers who have been disseminating information to students and staff through e-mail should consider using the mass mailing service provided by the ITSC. Furthermore, if information is disseminated through mailing lists more information should be consolidated in a batch instead of sending individual messages. By adopting both of these suggestions, CWEM users will receive less e-mail and use less time to maintain their mailboxes.

ii. Keep the Size of Your Inbox Small

Quite often people send e-mail with attachments. Sometimes we also ask people to send us files through e-mail. Because files and attachments are usually larger in size than an e-mail message, an "Inbox" can become very large even though the number of messages is small. Getting a huge "Inbox" from CWEM to the desktop uses a lot of resources of CWEM.

We recommend saving attachments of e-mail to your local disk to reduce the size of your "Inbox". Do not use your "Inbox" as file storage.

B. What are some other solutions or alternatives to CWEM? 

Of course there are alternatives to CWEM. Departments can set up their own e-mail server. In fact, many departments have already done so. Departments or units with a smaller number of staff that cannot justify setting up their own e-mail server may consider subscribing to the e-service provided by the ITSC.

While e-mail is a very convenient means for sending and receiving information, other means such as the web can serve the same purpose. One possibility is developing a web application to allow submission of information such as student course work, conference papers, application forms, etc. Another possibility is developing a web application such as a portal to allow users to pull - or download - the information that they want.

If you have any enquiries or comments regarding the role of CWEM, please do not hesitate to write to ITSC at policy-help@cuhk.edu.hk.

CWEM Account Suspension when Abnormal Network Traffic Is Detected

In the past few weeks, we detected that a number of users' computers generated huge amounts of abnormal network traffic on the campus network. This abnormal network traffic kept our network equipment busy in handling their flow and in turn created a slow response on the campus network.

As noted in issue 34 of ITSC Digest, we take prompt action to disable these network ports and suspend the concerned users' CWEM accounts to prevent them from using other access points to dump packets to our network. Suspension of CWEM accounts will affect a user's access to the campus network, to email and to many University administrative applications. To avoid any inconvenience caused by account suspension, we urge you to always check that your computer is in good condition before connecting it to the network.

One of the major reasons that a computer generates abnormal traffic/packets is that it is infected by a virus. Hence, we urge you to install an appropriate anti-virus scanner and update its virus pattern file regularly. Please check http://avserver.itsc.cuhk.edu.hk for the anti-virus scanner details.

Dial-up Quota Scheme Over the Summer

To meet your dial-up access needs, the summer quota scheme will be effective from June 2 until August 31, 2003. Under this scheme, the prime hours will be shortened and the dialup weekly quota units for student users will be increased. As always, if you find the quota inadequate, please apply for extra units from the ITSC.

IT Training News for Staff

In June, we will offer courses about the use of MS Office XP, web-authoring tools and web-based teaching tools to University staff members. These include

A. MS Office XP 

Changjei Input Method Windows XP and Office XP New Features Highlight Office Skill Essentials - Access (XP) Office Skill Expert - Excel (XP)

B. Web-authoring Tools 

 Web page Authoring Techniques using HTML Design Simple Web Graphics by using Photoshop Web Authoring using Dreamweaver Fireworks MX (Introduction) - Simple Graphics Design Fireworks MX (Advanced) - Creating Web Features

C. Web-based Teaching Tools 

Learn WebCT CE 3.8 Online Build Your WebCT Course: A Great Start

Visit http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/itsc/training for the details. If you fail to register for any course due to time conflicts or full reservations, please fill in our online Feedback Form so that we can know more about your needs.

Computer Accounts of Final Year Students

The computer facilities of the Information Technology Services Centre are provided for current University staff and students. Therefore, when you leave the University, your computer accounts and data files will be deleted automatically. It is your responsibility to archive/backup your data files before leaving the University.

The expiry date of all your accounts is set to the last day of the month printed on your CU Link unless there is a special arrangement between ITSC and your department/faculty. Individuals looking for an extension of accounts should apply, two weeks before the expiry date, by sending requests to ITSC through the Special Request Submission System at

http://accounts.itsc.cuhk.edu.hk/websql.dir/aims/ms_src.html

A. Print Balance of Your PC LAN Account 

You are required to settle any outstanding amount in your Print Account before you leave the University. Otherwise, your record will be sent to University authorities for disciplinary action. Any remaining amount in your Print Account is not refundable but can be transferred to other users through the "Print Transfer Service" available on the ITSC PC LAN.

B. Internet Access Service for CUHK Alumni 

If you wish to use the University Internet Services, which is a charged service, after graduation, you can apply for an account. Details can be found at http://alumni.cuhk.edu.hk .

For any enquiries, please contact the ITSC Electronic HelpDesk at http://helpdesk.itsc.cuhk.edu.hk or e-mail account-help@cuhk.edu.hk